Full article below:
-A particular item of interest to point out, though, is
that a new position has been created for a part-time monitor of onsite grounds
projects and liaison between the supervisory board and the residents. The
position title is Operations Manager, and a person with construction and
project management background will be sought. Residents will also be able to
contact the individual directly regarding issues and concerns.
The position has
now been filled, and the gentleman (Mike Smith) hired into the position was
introduced at the last meeting. Mr. Smith described his extensive background in
construction and project management and stated that he lives minutes away from
the West Villages communities, so he will be readily accessible when needed.
Good news, right? "Why
delay sharing that," you ask? It was also said at the meeting that Mr.
Smith's contact information will eventually be posted on the district's website. I was hoping to include that information
for your reference within my post. As of this morning, his contact information
is not on the site. Anyway, in probably the worst case scenario, it is likely
to be shared at the next meeting in a couple of weeks. I will share it when it
is made available.
Speaking of the
district website...new state legislation mandates that special districts have a
web presence and that certain information be publicly shared through it. Most
of the new directives are already met by the West Villages Improvement District,
including such requirements as posting both complete financial information and the
contact information for each governing body member. And, with the new legislation,
means for district accountability and oversight was also established. A link to
the Special
District Accountability Program is to be shared on each district website.
Special districts have until October 2015 to fully comply with all of the new mandates.
It has come up
occasionally where individual residents have expressed concerns over the ethics
of some arrangements and decisions, two items in particular of which I am aware.
The new program will provide a reporting system for such concerns and means to
hold them accountable. Let me also speak directly to the couple of concerns
that I have heard, though, as well...
The first that
came to my attention was that there were some ill at ease with the fact that
developer representatives held seats on the Supervisory Board. As this post is
already getting lengthy and there is considerably more to come, I will not go
into detail on the Statutes (special districts and community development
districts - Chapters 189 and 190, I believe) that outline the process whereby elected
residents progressively take over the Supervisory Board seats. Do know that it
is a process defined in state law, and that process is being followed. The
first elected resident seat was opened last spring and filled through a popular
vote this past summer. I will only provide here what I see as the logic behind
developer appointees filling the seats at the outset. Keep in mind that the
developers of these communities do not build houses on public land, they own
the lots until they sell them to new residents/landowners. And, it is
landowners that get to vote on elected seats. So, if a neighborhood has 1,000
parcels to be built and 300 of them are complete and sold to individual
landowners, it is still the developer that owns the majority of parcels in the
neighborhood. It would not make sense to hold a vote where 70% of the eligible
votes come from one source.
That is my take on
it at least.
The second of the
two concerns, really just a couple of queries that came up, revolved around costs
incurred for community plan changes and why the district would be responsible
for such expenses. To provide an example, a question came up as to why the
district was responsible for the expenses that arose as a result of a request
for changes to the number of lots within one of the communities was approved.
The adjustments resulted in special assessment (district tax/CDD) projections
and calculations needing to be professionally reconfigured, which incurs a fee
for that service. It was asked why the district would pay the fee rather than the
developer that requested the change. Essentially, the assessment calculations
are a district administrative obligation. It is up to the supervisory board to
understand all of the implications of decisions that they make for approvals or
denials, and to make decisions with those implications in mind.
Also, regarding
costs of building the communities themselves, each of the developers has their
own agreement with the district as to what is district responsibility and what
is the developer's, or even how responsibility may be shared between the two. Lennar,
for instance, agreed to take on most of the financial burden from community
infrastructure that would typically be publicly funded, as that unit of the
district was in such financial distress when the company purchased the development.
Other developers may submit to receive funding of all or a portion of eligible
community structure elements, depending on the pre-established arrangement in
place.
Hope that all helps
to clarify some. I would be happy to answer any specific questions for you. If
you'd like more information on anything in particular, just let me know. Also, I
would love any feedback on what you would like to see for future blog topics.
Thanks for reading
and have a blessed day!
Ali
If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, please let me
assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in
most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money. I even offer
(*with a couple exclusions) $500 towards closing costs to my clients*. I do not
work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement
District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including
the resources provided on all of my websites) are wholly independent of these
developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this
community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction serves also to fund
these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Ali
Aileen “Ali” Johnston, MHA
(currently working on an MBA in Real Estate)
Realtor®, Hoover Realty
Mobile: 941-539-5771
